Interlocking housing and mounting plate



Jan. 1, 1963 A. J. MALLOW INTERLOCKING HOUSING AND MOUNTING PLATE Filed Nov. 17. 1960 INVENTOR. ABRAHAM J MALLOM/ Mi ww United States Patent 3,071,284 INTERLOCKING HOUSING AND MOUNTING PLATE Abraham J. Mallow, 224 Case Road, Lakewood, NJ. Filed Nov. 17, 1960, Ser. No. 69,963 4 Claims. (Cl. 220-41) My invention relates generally to interlocking housings and mounting plates, and specifically to housing and mounting plates having constructions for rapid and easy engagement and disengagement with each other.

It is among the objects of my invention to provide a mounting plate for a clock case, barometer case, thermometer case, or similar object that will be engageable and disengageable with a housing upon which ornamental displays may be mounted.

Another object of my invention is to provide a housing which will receive engagement members on a case, and hold the case in firm engagement despite angular deviation from a vertical position by the housing.

Among the further objects of my invention are to pro vide a display housing and case which is sturdy, relatively inexpensive, and simple to operate.

These objects and advantages as Well as other objects and advantages may be achieved by the device shown, by way of illustration of the inventive concept, in the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a housing with ornamental members attached;

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevation of a mounting plate attached to the rear of a clock dial and clock case;

FIGURE 3 is a front perspective view of the housing with several ornamental members attached;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the mounting plate as shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a front elevation of the housing with the clock case attached;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged portion of FIGURE 2 showing a lip on the flange of the mounting plate; and

FIGURE 7 is a partial horizontal sectional view of the housing and mounting plate showing the engagement of the lip on the mounting plate with the bead on the housing.

A large ornamented housing is exceedingly inconvenient and expensive to ship when a clock, thermometer or barometer which it contains needs repair. If the clock, thermometer, or barometer is mounted in a small case, and the case provided with a tongue and lips that can engage with a slot and a head on the housing for the case, there is provided a means not only for interchanging the clock with the barometer or thermometer, but also for conveniently shipping the clock or barometer Without the bulky housing when repairs are necessary.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the present invention is illustrated by a housing 11 which may be generally circular in form. Attached to the external surface of the housing may be ornamental rays 12 which may be threaded at one end and inserted into holes in the housing. Wing nuts 13 may be used to hold the rays 12 in place. The overall size of the ornamented housing 11 may be three feet in diameter from the tip 14 of. a ray 12 to the tip 14 of the opposite ray 12.

The housing 11 is preferably tubular and has a wall 15 at the rear, but open at the front. It should be provided with a hanger at the rear. At the top of the housing 11, there is a slot 16. Around the open front face of the housing, there is a bead 17 or rib adjacent to its front edge 18. v

A generally circular mounting plate 19 for a clock 25 or barometer is provided. This mounting plate 19 has a central aperture to receive the case 20 for the clock or barometer and the plate 19 is attached to the rear of the clock dial 21 or barometer dial. The mounting plate 19 has a perpendicular peripheral flange 22 which is formed on the mounting plate and extends around at least a 5 portion of the upper edge of the plate. The diameter of this flange 22 is slightly greater than the diameter of the circular housing 11. There is a tongue 23 formed integrally with the flange 22 at the top of the mounting plate and it extends downwardly therefrom. This tongue 23 is dimensioned to enter the slot 16 in the top of the housing 11. There are also opposed inwardly extending lips 24, 24 on the flange 22 on either side of the tongue 23. When the tongue 23 is inserted into the slot 16, the lips 24, 24 will seat themselves behind the bead 17 on the housing 11, whereby the case for the clock is firmly engaged with the housing 11, against accidental displacement, falling or discharge. It may be seen that the clock, barometer, or thermometer will be easily interchangeable with each other and the repair of any of these items may 20 be easily effected by removing it in its case 20 from the housing 11 and sending it for repair in its relatively small case 20 only.

The foregoing description is intended merely to be illustrative of an embodiment of the invention, for many 25 changes or substitutions can be made in the construction, selection and arrangement of the parts within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed:

1. An interlocking housing and mounting plate comprising:

a housing with a slot at the top, a peripheral bead on the housing;

a mounting plate, a peripheral flange on the mounting plate, a downwardly extending tongue on the flange at the top of the mounting plate, opposed inwardly extending lips on the flange;

the housing and mounting plate gravitationally engaged with each other with the tongue in the slot and the lips on the flange behind the bead.

2. An interlocking housing and mounting plate comprising:

a generally tubular housing With a slot at the top front edge, a peripheral bead on the housing at the front edge;

a mounting plate, a peripheral flange on the mounting plate, a downwardly extending tongue on the flange at the top of the mounting plate, opposed inwardly extending lips on the flange;

the housing and the mounting plate gravitationally engaged with each other with the tongue in the slot and the lips on the flange behind the head. 3. An interlocking housing and mounting plate com prising: I

a generally circular housing closed at the back and open at the front, an ornamental portion mounted on the outside of the housing, a peripheral head on the housing adjacent to the open front, the housing having a slot at the top front edge adjacent to the bead; a mounting plate for a body designed to fit in the housing which body is substantially smaller than the housing, a peripheral generally circular flange on at least a portion of the mounting plate and having a,

diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the circular housing, a downwardly extending tongue on the flange at the top of the mounting plate, opposed inwardly extending lips on the flange;

the tongue extening into the slot and the lips seated on the bead when the tongue is in the slot whereby the housing and mounting plate are gravitationally engaged together.

4. An interlocking housing and mounting plate corn- (g) a downwardly extending tongue on the flange at prising the top of the mounting plate (a) a housing having an open front portion adapted (it) the housing and mounting plate gravitationally to receive a body, engaged together with the tongue extending down (b) a peripheral bead on the housing adjacent to the 5 wardly into the slot and the lips seated behind the open front portion, a bead. (c) the housing having a slot at the top of the front edge adjacent to the bead, References Cited in the file of this patent (d) a mounting plate for a body which body is dimen- UNITED STATES PATENTS (7 slon fi m the 01 8 5, 10 1,752,651 Porter Apr. 1' 1930 (e) a peripheral, generally arcuate, horizontal flange on the mounting plate dimensioned to rest on the peripheral head on the housing,

(1) downturned lips on the flange,

2,125,749 Rahr Aug. 2, 1938 2,847,780 Ellerman Aug. 19, 1958 

1. AN INTERLOCKING HOUSING AND MOUNTING PLATE COMPRISING: A HOUSING WITH A SLOT AT THE TOP, A PERIPHERAL BEAD ON THE HOUSING; A MOUNTING PLATE, A PERIPHERAL FLANGE ON THE MOUNTING PLATE, A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING TONGUE ON THE FLANGE 